


the art of compromise

by GoddessEris00



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-16
Updated: 2011-11-16
Packaged: 2017-10-26 03:21:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/278094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoddessEris00/pseuds/GoddessEris00
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Because there are different ways to get the same results.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the art of compromise

They are in Steve's house being loud. The argument is about nothing, really. Yet it becomes the most important one Steve and Danny will ever have. Because when Steve finally gets tired of the yelling and the flailing, he ducks in close, so close he can wrap his hands around his partner's neck. Which he does. So close he can press his lips against Danny's. He does that too.

It is perhaps not the worst first kiss he has ever had, but it ranks up there. Danny, though caught in mid-rant, slams his mouth closed so quickly that all they are doing is smashing lips against teeth. Still, Steve thinks _Danno_ , thinks Danny will relax into it soon, thinks this is the best way to end an argument ever. Thinks he has been waiting for this.

Danny wrenches back out of his grip. His fist catches Steve solidly and painfully on the jaw. He doesn't say anything as he walks out, and somehow that hurts worse than the punch.

*~*~*~*

Danny is unsurprised, walking into work the next morning, that Chin and Kono know. Of course they do. And he is even less surprised to see they are squarely on Team Steve. After all, Steve is the one with the massive bruise on his face, who has been sitting quiet and sullen in his office all day. Sulking, for god's sake. Danny tries to ignore it, tries to rise above it, but clearly very little work is getting done around the office (this string of violent robberies will not solve itself while 5-0 reenacts a junior high tragedy) and after one too many glares from Kono he invites her to his desk for a private chat.

Even before Danny begins to speak, Kono notices the stillness about him. She has seen him sad, and mad, and happy, and always in motion. That he is sitting across from her now, his fingers steepled together and resting calmly on the desk, is unnerving.

"I could talk about professionalism," begins Danny, "about the code of conduct, about what you should or shouldn't do, what you should or shouldn't share, but we both know I'd be wasting my breath. So let's talk about you and me, Kono."

"What do you mean?" Kono doesn't like the way her voice come out, a little weak and wavery, but she also doesn't like this new and serious Danny, who is concerned about saving his breath, of all things.

Danny smiles then, as if realizing he's freaking her out a little and trying not to.

"Well, we're friends right?"

"Of course," she replies.

"So we can talk and argue and be honest with each other."

"Right."

"So tell me, and be honest, what would you do if I, right now, right in the middle of this conversation, stood up, walked over to you, and shoved my tongue in your mouth? Hypothetically speaking, of course."

Kono does not feel good about herself.

"I would probably kick your ass," she admitted, "or check you for fever."

Danny has visibly relaxed now, his hands coming apart and flipping towards her in a _you see what I mean?_ gesture.

"But... but, I mean, Steve likes you. You guys like each other!"

"Is that right?" replied Danny, smirking a little now. "That's news to me. Thank you so much, Kono, for sharing the state of my own emotions with me."

"Jackass," huffed Kono falling back into her chair. "You know what I'm talking about. And Steve definitely likes you."

"Now that memo, I did receive. Trust me."

"And the one you sent back? Did you mean it?"

Danny is quiet again, but it is a thoughtful silence this time.

"Steve and I, you may have noticed, do not operate in the same way. I like to take the time to consider all the angles, while he rushes in where angels fear to tread."

"So how many angles did you consider before socking him in the face?" asked Kono perkily, surprising a laugh out of Danny.

"And thus ends the introspective portion of the day. Get outta here,"

Kono stood up, still smiling. Through the glass she can Steve watching them, his attention having been attracted by Danny's laugh.

"You do things differently, but you always end up in the same place. You know that right?"

"You mean the ER?"

She rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean."

"Kono, you are a hopeless romantic. Get back to work."

*~*~*~*

They get a break in the case mid-afternoon, quite literally another break-in, and as Steve and Danny walk out to the car, Danny tosses his keys at the subdued SEAL, who is surprised enough to almost drop them.

"Seriously?" asked Steve, looking from the keys to Danny's face and back again.

"Yes, seriously, now get in the car and drive because we have some serious criminals to catch."

They settle in but the silence is far from comfortable.

"Are we going to talk about this?" Steve's knuckles are white on the steering wheel and Danny is sure he has never seen him concentrate so much on driving before.

"What do you think, of course we're going to talk about it. When do I not want to talk about things? We'll just... not talk about it now. As in, not right this moment. However, since we're on the topic, sorry about the face."

Steve throws him a brief, startled look before turning his attention back to the road.

"Sorry about the, uh..." here Steve trails off, and if Danny were feeling less magnanimous, he might have filled in the blank with "oral assault" or "lip abuse" or something equally unkind.

Instead he says: "it's okay, babe. Later, okay?"

And Steve finally relaxes his death grip on the steering wheel, because Danny said it was okay. Because Danny said _babe_. Because Danny said _later_. He finds it ironic that he was determined to shut his partner up yesterday when Danny's words matter so much.

*~*~*~*

They are in Steve's house, being quiet. Danny is relaxed at one end of the couch, idly picking at the label on his beer, while Steve sits tensely at the other, waiting. Finally, when it becomes obvious that Danny is not going to start, Steve says: "You want to talk?"

Danny raises an eyebrow.

"You want to fuck?"

Steve feels his face flush as blood rushes into his cheeks and other, more southerly places.

"Jesus, Danny, if you don't want me to attack you again, you'd better not say stuff like that."

"So you admit is was an attack," said Danny. "A sneak attack, even."

"Yes, and I'm sorry."

Danny nods

"Okay," he said, carefully putting his near empty bottle on the side table. He stands up and Steve feels a flash of panic.

"Wait," he says, "don't go yet. We're not done talking."

Danny smiles and advances on his partner.

"Oh, we're done talking."

*~*~*~*

It's easy to think that Danny is all talk, and Steve is all action. Most days it's true. Sometimes, though, especially recently, Danny proves that actions speak louder than words. Though if he can get Steve to babble and beg and call out his name, that works too.  



End file.
